Another day, another scam, and this is a sneaky one! Cyber criminals are getting smarter. This recent malware threat is unusually smart. It impersonates a highly trusted brand name to get a foot in the door.

Targets receive a convincing looking email that appears to come from a widely used e-signature platform. Attached to the email is a blank image that is loaded with empty svg files, which are carefully encoded inside an HTML file attachment (stay with us here it will make sense!).

In short this is a very clever hack and it is tricking its way past a lot of security software. That puts businesses like yours at risk, because code within the image sends people to a malicious URL.

If you open this attachment you could unwittingly install malware onto your device – or even your network – which risks exposing your data and leaving you open to a ransomware attack.

Recently, there has been a wave of HTML attachment attacks on small and medium sized businesses. It is clear that companies need to take action to stay ahead of the criminals.

If you use software to sign documents electronically, double-check that emails are genuine before opening any attachments.  There is a reason why the criminals have chosen to impersonate a trusted name.

Taking things a step further, you could block all emails with this type of attachment, to prevent employees from being exposed to scam emails in the first place.

If you would like any advice or help, feel free to get in touch. We would love to help!

Published with permission from Your Tech Updates.